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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · tear · mine · pop · can · wave · wax · saw

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pop — to visit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tear — to rip
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pop — soda
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. can — a tin
  16. mine — for digging
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pop — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com